Tigers Prepare for District Play After National Spotlight Weekend

The ARS Roter Rooter 2017 National Hoopfest Basketball Tournament is a two-day event, advertised as, “the basketball event unlike any other,” matches top national high school basketball programs against some of the area’s best high school teams in major cities. This past Saturday night’s match-up featured the Lancaster Boys Basketball team against USA Today’s No. 3 nationally ranked basketball powerhouse, Oakhill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) Lancaster’s fast-paced style of play and above average 3-point shooting, led by sophomore guards Marco Foster (21 points), Mike Miles (21 points) and freshman guard Wade Taylor (20 points), had the home crowd on its feet and helped Lancaster take the lead during the second quarter.

Lancaster, TX/Lancaster ISD – If you’re a high school basketball fan in the DFW area, chances are you found yourself inside the Lancaster High School Coliseum on Saturday, December 16, to enjoy the ARS Roter Rooter 2017 National Hoopfest Basketball Tournament. The two-day event, advertised as, “the basketball event unlike any other,” matches top national high school basketball programs against some of the area’s best high school teams in major cities.

Saturday night’s match-up featured the Lancaster Boys Basketball team against USA Today’s No. 3 nationally ranked basketball powerhouse, Oakhill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) Lancaster’s fast-paced style of play and above average 3-point shooting, led by sophomore guards Marco Foster (21 points), Mike Miles (21 points) and freshman guard Wade Taylor (20 points), had the home crowd on its feet and helped Lancaster take the lead during the second quarter.

Ultimately, the Oakhill Academy Warriors took advantage of Lancaster’s lack of size and dominated inside the paint, which resulted in an 87-78 Oakhill Academy win over the Tigers.

“We were the underdogs, we played hard and made them work for their win,” Lancaster Head Coach Ferrin Douglas said. “Learning from this loss and focusing on how we improve is very critical. We don’t like to lose but, you have to play talented teams like Oakhill to become a better team in order to prepare for district play.”

However, despite the loss, Lancaster ISD Interim Superintendent Elijah Granger said that he was impressed with the Tigers’ efforts.

“As I watched our students play one of the top ranking schools in the nation, I felt proud,” he said. “Our students did not have any fear, they did not waiver, they played the game with heart and passion.”

The Tigers are currently ranked No. 17 in the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Class 5A state ranking with district team members Waxahachie (No. 1) and Mansfield Timberview (No. 2) respectively, making District 10 in the UIL 5A class the toughest in the state of Texas.

“We are a young exciting team and I believe that these high pressure game experiences will only help my boys compete at a high level throughout the rest of our season,” Douglas said. “Our current 7-6 record is a reflection of what I consider a tough pre-district schedule and is preparing us to compete for a district title.”

The Tigers will begin district play on Tuesday December 19, against Mansfield Lake Ridge. Douglas plans to celebrate the many bright spots from this past weekend’s game and use that momentum to motivate his young team throughout the rest of the season.

“No matter what, I’m proud of my boys and their maturity. They are hungry and want to uphold the Lancaster Basketball tradition of winning for the Lancaster community,” he said. “They understand what that means and are working hard to reach our goal.”

You can catch the Tiger Basketball team in action on Tuesday and Friday nights at 8 PM at the Lancaster High School Coliseum for home games. The Tigers will also compete in the upcoming Dallas ISD Coco-Cola tournament December 27-29, 2017. For tournament game times, updates and scores, follow the team’s Twitter page with @TigersLHS and visit www.LancasterISD.org for the team schedule.